Media used for large format printing is traditionally made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC). PVC is especially useful for outdoor signage since it is weather resistant and fade resistant. However, while the weather resistance of PVC offers advantages, the weather resistance also means that PVC does not readily degrade or disintegrate in a landfill compared to cellulosic materials. Another undesirable attribute of PVC is that it has a poor recyclability.
The presence of chloride in PVC leads to additional environmental concerns. Global environmental pressures are pushing the printing industry to reduce the use of PVC. But when used in large format printing applications, media made from materials other than PVC may suffer from poor performance when printed with latex inks by large format printers.